Immunity Flashcards
define immunity
body’s ability to resist disease
Antigen vs Antibody
antigen is a protein that induces the immune response in the body (marker on the surface of all cells)
Antibodies are protein molecules produced by B lymphocytes to attach to the antigen of the pathogen and destroy it.
what is natural immunity and first vs second defence
natural immunity is bodies inherent ability from birth to resist infection and disease.
first defence is antiseptic tears, mucous, cilia, ear wax, saliva
second defence is to slow spread by fever. increase temp to inhibit pathogen growth
inflammation- more blood to area- more immune cells to fight the infection
what is acquired immunity and active vs passive?
it is immunity developed through exposure to pathogens.
Passive- through injected antibodies, mother to child, breast milk, etc which provides antibodies to fight the pathogen. antibodies are not produced in the body.
Active- through direct exposure to the pathogen or from vaccination which stimulates the body’s immune system to produce antibodies for that pathogen.
what is blood cell type to fight infection and where produced?
Lymphocytes, produced in lymph glands, spleen and blood
define phagocytes
white blood cells that engulf foreign pathogens and deactivate them. produced in red bone marrow
how does phagocytosis work with a phagocyte
B-lymphocytes vs T-lymphocytes?
B lymphocyte recognizes the antigen of a pathogen and produces B lymphocytes that are antigen-specific which produce antibodies that can clump that pathogen, cause them to burst, and mark them for phagocytosis. T lymphocytes recognize, and release chemicals that cause the pathogens to burst.
what are initial vs memory cells in terms of types of immunity?
initial is the effect of the body’s natural immunity
memory cells are antibodies that once have killed the pathogens are still in the blood and left as memory cells to be activated when the body has that pathogen again. This is active immunity.
how does a vaccine work?
dead, fragmented, small doses of microorganisms with pathogens injected into the body. body immune system stimulated and B lymphocytes produce antigen-specific lymphocytes which produce antibodies that kill this pathogen. these antibodies remain as memory cells in the blood. therefore immunized as next time pathogen comes body can efficient deactivate it.
how does antibiotic work?
medicine made by living organisms that have the ability to fight disease by bacteria. They can do this as the chemical composition of these antibiotics allow them to burst the cell walls, weaken and burst the cell membranes, and inhibit protein synthesis. Viruses do not have cell walls, membranes or ribosomes for protein synthesis so antibiotic cannot deactivate virus as they are acellular.
how do bacteria build resistance to antibiotics?
once a dose is started the weaker bacteria are deactivated by the antibiotic. when the dose is stopped and stronger bacteria are left behind through natural selection. They can now mutate their genes to not be deactivated by that antibiotic as they recognize the chemical composition that has deactivated the weaker pathogen. This allows them to be resistant to the drug when it is used again as they have adapted to it.
How does insulin work?
the pancreas makes insulin to maintain blood glucose levels. in diabetes Miletus the cells of isle of Langerhans cannot produce the insulin so it has to be injected. It is made through the plasmid of bacteria being broken down by enzymes and the adding of dna to make recombitant dna allowing bacteria to produce insulin
